What Type of Dark Circles Do I Have?

Dark circles and bags under the eye area are some of the most common skin concerns for all skins, age groups, and genders.

The causes are diverse and/or complexed by multiple reasons.

Firstly, we need to dive right into the root of the issue!

1. Lack of sleep - not getting enough sleep plays a major in our overall health. The signs can be seen on the skin through darkness, puffiness, or bags under the eyes.

2. Lifestyle - Could your lifestyle be causing dark circles and bags under the eyes? Alcohol consumption, smoking, processed foods and sugar play a part on how our skin looks.

3. Stress - Last but not least, there is the stress factor. Chronic stress can definitely be the cause behind your dark circles!

Let's take a deeper look into the different types of dark circles to understand the causes behind them and how to treat them!

They call these leaking capillaries or visible veins due to our under-eye area being very delicate and thinner than your skin on your face. The thinner skin under the eye just lies directly under the muscle. So when we put added stress on our bodies we see this through internal organs that turn to oxidised blood, showing in our eye area.

The causes of this extra stress can either be due to one or more of the following:

• Anemia - Iron deficiency - Lack of iron in our bodies causes our blood cells to be unable to carry enough oxygen to the body's tissues causing the blue/purple colour under the eyes.
  
  
• Sluggish lymphatic system - built up of oxidated blood that has not been drained or detoxified properly due to your lymphatic system
  
  
• Kidney or liver problems - your body is under stress and hasn't been able to detoxify or your lifestyle may be full of toxicity.
  
  
• Lack of sleep
  
  
• Allergies such as Sinus or hayfever congest and block the nasal passage and can also be a cause of purple or blue circles under the eyes
  
  
• Lifestyle factors like alcohol, smoking, and diet also influence those dark circles!
  
  
• Thinning of the eye area, decurrent of a decline in collagen, elastin synthesis, and muscle support.

If you want to change the appearance of your under-eye area, looking into some of these contributing factors and trying some lifestyle changes could make a difference!

Another step from here is adding an eye cream containing one or more of these ingredients:

• Vitamin A
• Peptides
• Green tea
• Coffee extracts

These ingredients can help stimulate the sluggish lymphatic system and help build collagen so when thinning of the eye area happens, it isn't so prominent. Also they add hydration.

1. Eye Authority from Hydropeptide

2. Medik8 Retinol Eye TR

Brown or yellow circles under the eye area is commonly genetic associated. Alternatively, it can be a result of an increase in pigment in this area.

Here are some of the contributing factors for the formation of brown or yellow under-eye circles:

• Overexposure to sunlight
• Hyperpigmentation - the body produces extra melanin
• Dermatitis
• Hormonal causes or medication use
• Inherited genes/predisposition to dark circles - this one in particular can be challenging to treat but can be improved.

Protecting your eye area with an SPF Eye Cream can help eliminate some of the contributing factors to brownish/yellow circles under the eye area.

Look for products containing Vitamin C, which can help brighten the eye area.

1. Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF 15+

2. Medik8 C Tetra Eye

Bags under the eyes can happen due to one or more of the following causes:

• Genetics - excess fat under the eye area
• Lifestyle - again, alcohol consumption, an unhealthy diet and smoking can all contribute to the formation of bags under the eyes
• Allergies
• Fluid retention - the sluggish lymphatic system - excess salt in the diet
• Lack of sleep
• Added chronic stress/fatigue

Looking into your lifestyle choices and changing a few things could help the appearance of your bags.

Another helpful technique would be doing a pressure point massage under the eye area with your specialised eye cream to help drain the fluid.

1. Aspect Eye Lift 3

2. Stress Positive Eye Lift 

Also read: Our Top #5 Best-Selling Eye Creams and Why You Need Them

About The Author

My name is Sari Pols,
I have been in the skincare industry for over 15 years. My passion lies in ‘Health’. Health for the skin and body. My philosophy is if we have good well-being on the inside, then it shows our vitality on the outside.
I have furthered my knowledge of Skin Anatomy, Skin Concerns, and Fitness. I am a true believer in how to make my clients feel their best both inside and out. My emphasis is on guiding my clients through their journey of skin concerns and conditions. I do not like to bandaid a concern or condition but want to get down to the root of the cause. I aim to give personalised consultations with treatment and correct prescribed skin products.